Cult Citizen

[icycalm]

ysignal took microTech. I forgot to say that Pirate Commander in Grim HEX is also a choice, with the silver paints, though that won’t have persistent hangars in the upcoming patch, if ever. But it will work the same way for our purposes.

Since we now have a Planetary Commander (two if you count me), I’ll make sure to post the new strategic rules before the next patch. I’ve already given a summary to ysignal via DM so he can get a headstart. But just in case the new patch drops out of nowhere and catches me by surprise, players now have TWO landing zones as choices: ArcCorp under my command as usual, or microTech under ysignal’s. If you pick ysignal note that you’ll be expected to help him visit all points-of-interest and catalogue them in individual threads, among other duties... No such duties on ArcCorp because it basically has no POIs for the time being. Well, apart from shops and such.

More soon in an extensive update.

[icycalm]

shubn will be the blue Commander (Crusader), and for starters he's also taking Pirate Commander (silver, Grim HEX), because GHex is in his domain. Maybe in the future we'll have a dedicated Pirate Commander, if anyone wants to take it over. But in terms of planets, the only one left now is red (Hurston). Talk to me if you’re interested in it: the red paints look fantastic.

This means that when 3.23.2 hits, players can choose between Area18, New Babbage, and Orison. Keep that in mind when the patch arrives.

I’ll be posting more about all this soon, hopefully before the patch hits. I think I have time because they keep pushing it back. It will be quite revolutionary. The first player-owned real-estate in the verse. Which is why it adds a strategy dimension.

[icycalm]

Thursday: server meshing test with all backers, 3 servers per shard. Friday: Cargo/hangar build with Evocati [MOTD - goals for this week]
https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/co ... _backers_3



Stanton with 3 servers probably means 200+ players. Maybe as high as 300. That will radically change the game. Though there are way more POIs now with the derelict settlements and distribution centers than there used to be, but that's why it's hard meeting anyone these days. So the increase in playercount should make encounters more frequent, and landing zones more populated. Very keen to see how this experiment goes, but I won't be playing. I really don't enjoy testing. But for those interested in testing: https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/co ... echpreview

For extra clarification, this is for server meshing with network changes based on the last set of tests they ran before 3.23.

EDIT: Some more information that's come out:

It's likely start at 21:00 UTC, but as early as 19:00 UTC.

There will be 3 Stanton servers per shard. No indication of how they're split yet.

The test will be for a 3.22.x build, likely to ensure performance/keep the number of factors down a bit.

"Super high" player counts aren't the focus, so it's more likely a case of wider scale testing for more information than pushing it to the point it breaks.

I'd be interested to know how much room for improvement there is in the code between tests. I mean... you developed the server-meshing code. Then you test it. And it turns out it breaks above 200-300 players. So what exactly can you do to raise this number? And why wouldn't you have done it from the beginning?

I need to learn to code at some point. I will do it if I get to old age and have plenty of time. The issue of bugs especially is a mystery to me. How can adding in some code in an entirely different part of the game break how a SPECIFIC ship's door opens or doesn't open? It makes no sense to me. And this shit keeps happening ALL THE TIME? It sounds unbelievable.

[ysignal]

In a large system it's generally not practical to optimize everything, and performance is usually limited by specific bottlenecks. So, you optimize the current bottlenecks and that allows you to scale up until you start hitting new ones, and then you optimize those, and so on. You can model the system to predict bottlenecks, but for a sufficiently complex system it's very hard to catch them all at design time. Many optimizations for a game like this also rely on player behavior. That's why you often need to run tests to figure out how to continue optimizing.

Regarding inexplicable bugs, typically in a game like this, a number of systems need to work in concert to make something like opening a door happen (e.g. asset scripting, animation, UI, network, rendering). If any of these parts get out of sync, the functionality breaks. If a specific in-game object is buggy (e.g. a door on a specific ship), it's likely that one or more of the associated assets (e.g. scripts, models, animations) got out of sync with the latest changes to some other system or asset. And that is assuming that the system is designed cleanly. Typical commercial software projects are filled with "hacks" added to get a feature out the door at the cost of making the system less coherent. In that case, the rabbit hole goes much deeper than what I've explained above.

[icycalm]

Thanks for the explanations. I’ll hit you up for resources when I am ready to start studying.

[icycalm]

Star Citizen: Meet the Team - Weapon Content
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r3lOIAjYhQ

We're back with a new format! Join us today as we introduce key members of the Weapon Content team while learning more about how they work together to create some of the best weapons in the 'verse, including a sneak peek at new upcoming weapons.

Amazing video! You see glimpses of the tattoos that are coming, the fire extinguisher that will be in 4.0, a new weapon with a bayonet? Or is that a chainsaw a la Gears? A machete or sword? Tons of new weapon concepts, a new Greycat tool? Also the upcoming energy/distortion weapons. Also a ton of Rust-like improvised weapons for Pyro! They look insane! And the fucking crossbow they've been promising for years! The Ranger will get this!

Incredible video, don't miss it. I can't wait to incorporate all the new stuff into the Cult Spec!

[icycalm]

Dude they've bought/rented new servers and are running Stanton with 600 players... We're in for such a treat in the upcoming months. Meanwhile everyone else is still playing with Game Boy Colors lol.

[TECH-PREVIEW Playtest] Meshing Efficiency Playtest - Starts 7pm UTC
https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/co ... y_playtest



They also put in an easter egg:

For the meshing TECH-PREVIEW, do not try to join PYRO as this will brick your account until you recopy. This test is for Stanton only.

[icycalm]

Adjudicator will be the red (Hurston) Commander! Makes perfect sense if you think about it since he likes Hurston’s lore plus he’s from Singapore and has personal experience with that kind of regime :)

And with that, all strategic posts on Stanton are filled! The Cult has complete control of the system! Because note that since ArcCorp is the seat of The Cult’s power and the Imperial HQ, the Emperor also fills the duties of ArcCorp Commander and also Stanton Commander.

But more strategic posts (and color schemes) are opening on Pyro, and I’ll be talking about them soon. Plus look out for a detailed post on strategic duties. They are way more exciting and complex than you’d think!

Bottom line is Adjudicator will be making Lorville his home for 3.24, and if anyone wants to help him out with his duties, they should set their home there too.

So all 4 Stanton planets are open to CULT members for 3.24! Choose your allegiance wisely, cultists.

[icycalm]

Tremendous progress with server meshing tests: 3-server Stanton with 500 players works great, and 6-server Stanton with 1000 players is at least playable: https://old.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/co ... ng/lnzg41b

3:500 run almost like in live with low delays but overall smooth. 6:1000 shard 010 was decent with long delays and desync (from 2-3 sec to 1min) but still much better than last week when you couldn't leave the habs or hangar, still there were some problems for some payers with trams, elevators and ATC. For example for me elevators were broken and I did a reset ptu character and after that it worked.

[icycalm]

3.24.2 EVO Unofficial List of Additions
https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/co ... _additions

In addition to the above, more upcoming features have also been datamined from this patch:

3.24.2 Evocati Datamine/Leak Thread
https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/co ... g_producer

And the reason there's so much new stuff is:

3.24.2 is 4.0 Lite!!! (Straight from CIG Producer)
https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/co ... g_producer

Don't miss the new QT music, it's great:

Evocati 3.24.2: New epic quantum travel music, entry and exit. Skip to 1:25 for exit music
https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/co ... usic_entry

[icycalm]

Star Citizen 4.0 EVO - Main Menu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpyQweQDnxI

[shubn]

https://robertsspaceindustries.com/spec ... e/56866196

We've been given the John Crewe blessing for the Polaris and Starlancer Max in our next 3.24.3 build on PTU. This might be a late one since we are working to publish a 4.0 to Evocati as well first

https://robertsspaceindustries.com/spec ... e/56866298

Owners will get access but they will also be rentable during the expo this weekend on the manufacture days

https://robertsspaceindustries.com/spec ... e/56866324

most likely will require a recopy after the build goes out

A recopy means to make a fresh copy of your account to the PTU database from here: https://robertsspaceindustries.com/account/copy/ptu

https://robertsspaceindustries.com/spec ... e/56866872

We will be running Save Stanton again this weekend on PTU but this will run further into phases 1-5

Save Stanton is the official name of the "Cheesecake" Narrative Event.

[icycalm]

https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/co ... anges_list

We need Secret changes list

Off the top of my head:

-Pings now label rocks automatically (no more zooming in to try and see the color of the gems)

-Your ship's marker doesn't vanish anymore (huuuge change)

-Death markers actually work now

-Save Stanton missions are now permanently in-game from a new faction

-NPCs now drop attachments with skins

I'd love to see what you guys found so far.

They've been doing a lot of QoL additions for 4.0. Together with the big updates, they add up to a whole new level of Immersive Experience.

[icycalm]

https://old.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/co ... 40/m37qh4h

You can wear caps with undersuits now.

Neat.

[icycalm]

PU Monthly Report March 2025
https://robertsspaceindustries.com/en/c ... March-2025

https://old.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/co ... 25/ml3cafv

Starlancer TAC in final development
Pioneer progressing through white box
Perseus out of white box
Apollo out of white box
Unannounced at LOD0
Two vehicles at bug fixing stage
Another unannounced at grey box
Variant passed grey box
Variant entering grey box
Another entering production

Wow, that's a big ships update but this puts to rest any hope of the Perseus flyable at Invictus. It's more like IAE if you're lucky.

Overheating thrusters and work on engineering too, that's what I'm here for.

I hope you have enough LTI tokens, shubn!

People’s wallets may be groaning but it’s groundbreaking to see this many vehicles added to a single game on a consistent basis, year after year. This is a sci-fi world so it’s supposed to have tons of cool vehicles and SC delivers on that front by adding over a dozen vehicles a year—in space, air, on the ground, and soon enough in and under the water (Squadron 42 has already shown a boat)—while Dune: Awakening will have three-four vehicles max without anything in space, and that’s the finished game. And they aren’t even at least up to SC’s level of detail! And I haven’t even mentioned vehicle mechanics!

Impossible to get excited over programmer games anymore. They just can’t compete with 1,300 people working on a single game for 15 years going on 20.

[icycalm]

4.1.1 Evocati Datamining & Other Notes - Asteroid Bases & New "Ambush" & "Patrol" Mission Types
https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/co ... roid_bases

Absolutely insane amount of content datamined. It won't all be in 4.1.1, but most of it should be in by 4.2. Also, very happy to see Paladin mentioned as potential flyable. That will be a great all-around ship for the Master Chief.

[icycalm]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAYojpn ... XVyolQO3wj

Get ready for mission overload! With over 60 new missions launching in Alpha 4.1.1, join us as we showcase several contracts coming your way, along with new additional features rolling out during Invictus Launch Week.

The new ship missions, new currencies, new ship components etc. add ridiculous depth and dynamism to the game. And the new Invictus is so exciting. I want to see above all what the Greycat vehicle is all about, it sounds tactical. And of course whether the Idris will finally come into the game.

[icycalm]

News coming for next update, CON42 Main Panel with Jared and Thorsten
https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/co ... panel_with

[icycalm]

4.2 Evocati Pyro I Thunder/In the Storm
https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/co ... _the_storm

so cool at 1:01 how the ground is revealed by the lightning

SC already has the best environmental effects ever, but this takes to a whole new level.

Imagine this with the new immersive audio... God

The new optional audio setting will sound like real space. I.e. you hear nothing unless it's hitting your ship and you have pressurized interior.

[icycalm]

How do you like your eggs?
https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/co ... _your_eggs



Coming in 4.2 in a couple of weeks.

[icycalm]

Alpha 4.2.0 - Patch Watch | Refine, Retune, Restyle
https://robertsspaceindustries.com/spec ... ne-restyle



The combat power suits look great. The Master Chief will get them. Crazy times ahead.

[icycalm]

Inside Star Citizen | Alpha 4.3 Patch Report
https://youtu.be/jkxgiVRMrnA

Some secrets are best left hidden, but we'll share a few. Tune in for a look at select features Alpha 4.3: Dark Territory has to offer.

[icycalm]

https://robertsspaceindustries.com/en/c ... er-24-2025

New Event

A new event in 4.3.2 related to the Fight for Pyro storyline.

October's event is in Pyro (calling recoil!) and the armor teased in last week's newsletter (and reteased this week on Twitter) is a super heavy "Battle Tech" armor, also coming in October: https://x.com/RobertsSpaceInd/status/19 ... 5105452191

Fully armored, very tough.

#sneakpeek

I think it will be an industrial event like Resource Drive because those are low-effort in terms of development and this is a point-point patch (4.3.2) while the big events are point patches (4.2, 4.3, etc.) that include brand-new locations.

Let me know if my programmer terminology isn't good.